Coating compositions are often used in applications to cover interior or exterior surfaces of buildings. Typically, a user applies a coating composition that cures with exposure to the ambient environment to form a coating. Coatings desirably have a high hardness to inhibit damage. Some materials used to impart hardness can cause deterioration of flexibility, which may lead to premature cracking and failure of the coating. Known coatings compositions may be solvent-based or may be aqueous. It is desirable to avoid organic solvents, which impart a high level of volatile organic compounds (“VOCs”), such as ethylene glycol, formaldehyde, or benzene.
It would be desirable to produce a coating composition that is a single-component (or “1K”) composition not requiring pre-mixing by the consumer, and that cures to form a cured coating that has both high hardness and high impact resistance. It would be particularly desirable to produce a coating composition having a low VOC concentration (less than 100 grams/liter). It would also be desirable for the coating composition to be suitable for application to interior or exterior surfaces such as wood, drywall, cement, metal, and plaster, or over a primer coating, and suitable for application to metals, composites, and other materials as a protective coating. The coating composition should cure at ambient temperature and without ancillary equipment such as ultraviolet lights.